Trouble in Twin Town
by Beanie-Babie17
Summary: When Dustin starts showing an interest in Lilith, will it cause a strain on his relationship with Angela? If she ever finds out, that is!
1. Not So Pleasant

**Chapter 1: Not So Pleasant**

My sister and I sat quietly at the breakfast table and ate our cereal very slowly to prolong the time we had to listen to mom and dad's particularly loud argument. They've been doing this for the past six months every night before bed and every morning before work there was something my mom did to annoy dad or vice versa. And my sister and I were stuck in the middle.

Allow me the pleasure of introducing myself. I'm Lilith Emily Pleasant. I'm sixteen years old and attend Polly Oak High School in Pleasantville. I live with my mom, Mary-Sue Pleasant, my dad, Daniel Pleasant, and my sister, Angela. But we're not just ordinary sisters, we're twins. Angela is about 15 minutes older than me and never lets me forget it. We may be twins but the similarities end at our faces and last names. I have more of a punk/goth style, while Angela is pure girlie. I like punk rock and heavy metal, Angela likes Indie Bands and Pop. Angela gets straight A's and I, well, let's just say I don't need a psychic to tell me that Summer School may be in my near future. Her boyfriend, Dustin, is the captain of the football team and he's on the honor roll. My boyfriend, Dirk, just dumped me two weeks ago. His dad said I was distracting him from his studies. Yeah, right! I knew he didn't study even when I _wasn't_ around. I guess you can see why we don't get along that well. We're complete opposites. Sometimes I wish she wasn't my sister, but I'd never want it to actually happen.

Back to the story. We were eating breakfast when I heard my mom say,

"That's it Daniel. I don't know why I took you back. Do you think I could just forget?"

"I don't expect you to forget. I just want to move on."

"But taking a vacation right now just isn't a good idea, Dan. We need to heal from this episode as a family."

When I heard those words, I knew I had to intervene before my mom did something crazy.

"Mom, dad let's think about this. Maybe a vacation would do us some good."

"Lilith, I'm trying to have a private conversation with your father right now. Go wait in the car."

"Geez, could've fooled me as loud as you were yelling." I provided my mom with her daily dose of teen sarcasm and went back to the kitchen.

"Maybe we should discuss this later." Mom said. "Girls, I'm leaving with or without you." She been saying that every day since elementary school and she hasn't left without two passengers in the car yet. I poured my cereal into a plastic container to eat in the car and placed on Angela's head.

"Carry that to the car for me, will you? I have to get my bookbag."

"Carry your own cereal, lazy." she said and shoved it at my chest. I started to open the container to pour the cereal all over her head but mom came in from the living room.

"I told you girls to get in the car, go." Mary-Sue was a tough cookie early in the morning.

"Just let me get my bookbag." I said as I ran up the stairs. And I could feel my mom's annoyed gaze in the back of my head as I left.


	2. As If It Could Get Any Worse

**As If It Could Get Any Worse**

**Tenth grade Biology. Whose bright idea was it force teenagers to sit quietly in a room for over an hour bored out of their minds with no naps and no food? By the middle of 1st**** period, I was **_**so **_**ready to be out of there. Ms. Goth may be one of most awesome neighbors I've ever had, but as a science teacher she's insufferable. As I leaned my head on my palm and attempted to pry my eyes open for the millionth time, the most annoying thing, besides Ms. Goth's voice, happened to me. Dustin Broke happened. He actually poked me on the shoulder like I was a piece of medium rare steak and whispered to me, "How you holding up, Lil? Seems like you were about to fall asleep." I didn't turn around because, number one, if I got one more detention, I'd get suspended and, number two, I **_**really **_**didn't want to talk to my sister's loser boyfriend. He poked me again, as if I didn't notice the first time. " I was doing just fine until you started stabbing me with your pencil." I leaned my heard on the other shoulder.**

" **Hey, what's your grade in this class?" Great, he wanted to make small talk.**

"**What's it to you?" Lame, I know, but would he really notice?**

"**Well, if you need help, I could tutor you?"**

"**Thanks, but no thanks. I'm content with my grades." But, even then he wouldn't shut up.**

"**I know how much you and Angela don't get along, but she did tell me your parents aren't letting you try for your license until you bring home better grades." He said with that stupid smirk he uses to make Angela swoon and me barf. At this point, I was so annoyed, that I had to turn around just to get the point across. I didn't actually plan on talking as loud as I did, that just surprised me.**

"**Well, " I said as I turned around. "You can tell Angela to leave family business with the **_**family.**_**" I didn't know I was yelling until Ms. Goth's monotone voice was silent and the entire classroom was staring at me.**

"**Well, Miss Pleasant, if you would rather discuss 'family business' with Mr. Broke instead of learn about cell structure, then I suggest you take a trip to detention."**

**As I mentioned before, this wasn't the first time I was sent out of class. This was, however, the only time it was caused by someone besides me. My face got so hot and I knew it was turning red so I kept my head down as I walked up to Ms. Goth and took the detention slip. I only turned back for a second to see that everyone else had returned to their work. Everyone except Dustin, who saw me looking at him and flashed that stupid smirk before going back to his notes. **


	3. If Only I Knew

**If Only I Knew**

When I finally got home and threw my book bag on the floor in front of the kitchen I still couldn't shake how weird Dustin was being to me in Science class. As I walked down the hallway to detention, I had this really creepy feeling in my chest. It was that same creepy feeling I used to get about Dirk when we first started liking each other. But I could never feel that way about Dustin Broke. The poor kid whose mom can barely afford for them to live in that tiny house so he has to steal and sell car parts to help with mortgage? Yea, right. That whole bad boy gone good thing is just an act. He's only doing it so my dad will let him date Angela. Straight A's? Please! He copies Angela's homework every night! And the only reason he's captain of the football team is because his mom is dating the coach. He's such a phony loser! I don't see how Angela can stand to be around him, much less date him. Just as I proceeded to stuff five cookies in my mouth at once, Angela ran in house looking very confused and lost. Normally, I don't really care about what's happening in my sister's life, but after the day I had, I just hoped that whatever she did, she'd get in trouble for it.

"Did Dustin break up with you, again?" I stuffed more cookies im my mouth. Angela just looked around the room in a panic. Then she ran into mom and dad's room and ran back to the kitchen.

"Earth to Angela," I said as she stumbled around the kitchen looking through random drawers. "Do you need help?" She finally stopped to take a breath.

"Do you know where mom and dad are?"

"Mom went grocery shopping and dad's still at work. What's up?"

"Why won't either of them answer their phones?" She started fishing through the drawer again. "Where's a marker and some paper?"

"The third drawer. Are you running away or something?" I was getting tired of being ignored.

"Or something. Look, I need to go Dustin's house for a minute, okay? If mom and dad come home, tell them I went to the library." She shut the drawers and started texting on her phone.

"I knew it! You _are_ running away."

"Just tell mom and dad, please. I'll explain when I get back."

"Sure." There wasn't anything else I could do.

Whe mom walked in at about seven o clock that evening and saw me sitting in front of the TV with a bowl of macaroni and cheese, the first thing she asked was,

"Where's your sister?" She didn't even seem to mind that I was eating the last box of mac n cheeese or explain why it took her three hours to go grocery shopping and not bring any groceries.

"At the library."

"It's closing soon. How is she getting home?"

"She has a ride." I took another spoonful of mac n cheese.

"From who?"

"How should I know? Maybe you should check your voicemail. Angela said she called you and you never answered."

Mom checked her phone and surely enough she had seven missed calls from Angela and a voicemail.

"Why would she..." Mom stopped mid-sentence to listen to her voicemail. After that, she sat down and started calling my dad.

"What's going on?"

"Dustin got into a fight with Brandi's boyfriend and got kicked out of the house. She's at the train station with him."

"Why are they...?" I started to ask but then mom was talking to dad already.

"Daniel, can you please pick up Angela and Dustin from the train station? No, bring them both here. I'll explain when you get home. Okay, bye."

I asked my question again. "Why were they at a train station?"

"Dustin's aunt lives in Veronaville." I nodded, then I asked my real question.

"Is Angela gonna get in trouble for this?" Mom stood up from the couch and started walking to the kitchen. "We'll see."

What kind of answer was that? We'll see? It's not like I asked her if we could get a puppy or if I could get a tattoo. If I had done the same thing, There would be no question as to whether I'd be in trouble or not. I'd be grounded before I even got home.

After dad brought Angela and Dustin back, they made me go upstairs. But it's not like I couldn't hear through the air vent in the bathroom, anyways.

From what I could hear, Dustin got into an argument with coach Smith after he hit his mom on the butt right in front of him and Beau. Dustin told him to leave his mom alone. The coach told him to lay off or he'd extra push ups tomorrow. Dustin pointed out that he couldn't make him do anything. Coach said, "If I become your new father, I will." That's what sent Dustin off the handle. He jumped up and got in the coach's face. Brandi sent Beau to his room. Then Dustin asked his mom if she would marry this scumbag. And the coach punched Dustin in the mouth for it. They then wrestled for about six minutes before Brandi could get to a phone and call the police. Dustin snatched the phone and hung it up after he got out of a headlock with Coach Smith. When the dust settled, coach told Brandi that Dustin is bad blood and needs to be taught some manners. Then he threatened to press charges against him. Brandi almost went crazy from how Dustin tells it. She told coach if he ever tried to do anything she'd press charges against him first. Coach got angry and left through the back door, slamming it as loudly as possible. She tried to send Dustin to his room but then he asked her if she was pregnant. She turned around and didn't face him. This made him so angry that he went up to his mom, lifted her off the ground, and asked her was she out of her mind to sleep with the coach. She immediatley slapped him and kicked him out of the house with not so much as a toothbrush. That's when he called Angela.

All my parents wanted to know was why she couldn't stop by dad's office at Lakeview High and ask for him. Her excuse: a bunch of tears followed by and, 'I thought you would be mad.' And they actually bought it. Maybe I should try that sometime. My parents agreed to let him spend the night, on the couch, until they can call his aunt and make arrangements. He was only permitted to use downstairs bathrooms and could only ask Angela or me if he needed something from upstairs. I didn't hear anything else after a minute, but before I could get up I heard a very loud male voice behind me.

"Is this where the towels are?" Dustin, of course. I stayed frozen and silent for a moment, trying to think of a reason to have my face so close to the ground.

"Yea, as soon as I find my...there it is!" I stumbled off the floor and brushed off my jeans. "I had to find my earring."

"It took you two hours to look for it over top of the air vent above the living room?" I was astonished.

"How did...?"

"I saw you, Lilith." For the second time in one day my face turned tomato red. I needed get him out of there. I grabbed a towel from the shelf and threw it at him.

"You better get downstairs. No boys allowed, remember?"

"Right," he said fumbling the towel in his fingers. Then he looked up at me. "I guess I'll see you at breakfast."

"I guess you will." Finally he left and my face turned back to normal.

I had never been so embarrassed about eavesdropping in my life. It was the only way I could get information about what was happening with my parents. For most of my life, it was no big deal. But after what had happened I felt too ashamed to ever do it again. I was so embarrassed, I want to crawl into a whole. Who was this boy sleeping on my couch? Thought I knew him as that egotistic, troublemaking, con artist my sister was in love with. But at that moment I really didn't know him at all. The thought of him being persuasive enough to embarrass me, Lilith Pleasant, who has put fear in the eyes of nerdy teachers and football players alike with a simple glance, was horrifying. I didn't want to feel like this, but I did. I don't even remember sleeping that night. I couldn't stop trying to figure this guy out. If only I knew who he really was.


	4. If You Give A Pig A Pancke

**If You Give a Pig a Pancake**

The morning after a house guest stays the night is usually the most awkward and unusual. I arose from bed when I smelled blueberry pancakes from downstairs. Did I wake up in the wrong house or something? I stumbled downstairs in my nightshirt and messy ponytail without washing my face or brushing my teeth, as usual. The moment my mom saw me she motioned for me to go back upstairs and make myself presentable for our 'guest'.

"Oh, you mean Dustin?" I rudely pointed out.

"Yes, he's in the shower right now and…" That was about all of what I heard my mom say before I bolted upstairs to try and get the bathroom this morning before Angela did. I banged heavily on the white, wooden door. Too late. I should've known she'd be trying to pretend that she hops out of bed looking perfect every morning to impress her boyfriend. But, then again, what was _I _doing? When I heard the shower start, I knew it was a lost cause. But still instead of going back downstairs to wait for the pancakes, I went to my room, locked the door, and stared at myself in the vanity mirror. I reached in my top drawer for some acne toner and a cotton ball and washed my face. I plucked out all the tiny sleep crystals in my eyes with my fingernails and grabbed a piece of gum out of my book bag. I listened at my wall and still heard the shower running so I went in my closet to pick out clothes. Normally I wear the first thing I pick out, but this morning for some inexplicable reason, I tried to coordinate shoes and tops. This was insane! I was trying to beat Angela to the table before Dustin saw her. As I went through my entire closet twice, I finally settled on my white t-shirt with dark pink skulls on it, a black vest, acid wash white jeans, black converses, and a black woven cap. This was the most planning I had ever made for an outfit since picture day.

I jogged down the stairs just as Dustin came out of the bathroom from brushing his teeth. Even though he was wearing the same clothes from yesterday, I had to admit, he looked hot. Whatever was in that soap worked wonders. When he saw me, the first thing he noticed was my hat.

"I never really pegged you as a hat person." He said as we both sat down at the kitchen table.

"Well, you know…" I didn't have any snappy comebacks that morning. It was too freaking early. Usually, I don't get up until about ten minutes before mom threatens to leave me home, then I race into the bathroom and still have time for a bowl of cereal before school. Today, I woke up an hour before I usually do and couldn't possibly wait for Angela to get out of the shower. This morning was so weird. And speaking of weird, dad came in the kitchen and greeted everyone. He even greeted mom at the stove with a kiss on the cheek. I was flabbergasted. I haven't seen my parents kiss since, well, ever! I figured they weren't gonna argue this morning for the sake of our guest, but kiss? When the pancakes were almost done, mom asked me to set the table. What do I look like, Martha Stewart? I guess my expression conveyed my strong dislike of housework. So then, Dustin offered to do it. I bet he'd never even seen plates that weren't plastic. What would he know about setting a table? So I decided I would scrutinize everything he did until he lost confidence; the same thing I do to Angela on a regular basis. He went to the cabinet to get the plates and I sat and watched him struggle to reach the top cabinet where the good china is. I knew I was supposed to tell him that we only have dinner on those plates, but he was setting the table, not me. His first mistake was where he put the bowls. They were supposed to go on top of the plates, not beside them. But before I could correct him, he fixed it. I wrote it off as beginner's luck and studied him even more. When he put down a knife, I was so ready to tell him it was facing the wrong way, but he still got to it before I said anything.

"Let me see if I remember how to do this." he laughed as he decided which side the forks should go on. I was highly irritated that I couldn't make fun of him for being a lousy table maker. When he had finished, it look amazing. Everything was in its exact place. The fork was on the left side of the plate next to the napkin. The knife was on the right side next to the teaspoon. The cup and saucer was on the right and even the bread and butter plate was on the left with a butter spreader. It was like watching the queen herself set a table.

"Where did you learn to do that?" I asked, genuinely amazed.

"When I was younger, my mom made me take cotillion and we learned all this stuff. Never thought I'd actually use any of it, though."

"Me and Angela did Debutante Cotillion a few years ago, too." He was just too good to be true. He had to be hiding something. Just as I started to get suspicious Princess Angela came down the stairs. She wore a very low cut yellow polka dotted dress, white hoop earrings, and white flats. A dress, why didn't I think of that? She came to the table in her usual cheerful manner and greeted Dustin with a friendly hug as opposed to a kiss since mom was in the kitchen. I could definitely tell that Angela was trying to impress Dustin wearing this dress today when she was planning to wear it next Easter for their special anniversary picnic. Don't ask me how I know that. Apparently, it wasn't really working. He didn't say a single word about her outfit. He at least mentioned mine but, I'm not his girlfriend. Halfway through the boring breakfast conversation I felt a kick from underneath the table. Mom was on my left side and Angela was across the table sitting next to dad. The only person who could've kicked me was Dustin. Why couldn't he just leave me alone?

"If you want my attention so badly just say something." I told him.

"Okay," he looked and saw that Angela was engrossed in a conversation with my mom. "After school, meet me underneath the orange tree in the back."

"For what?"

"You chicken or something?"

"No, I just don't want to waste my time."

"Trust me, it won't be wasted." That stupid smirk, yet again.

"Whatever. I'm there." First the guy gets me kicked out of Biology class, then he stays the night at my house, sleeping on my couch and eating my pancakes, then he has the audacity to just ask me to meet him in some secret tryst when his girlfriend is sitting right next him?

That low life. But what's even lower is that I was crazy enough to say yes.


	5. He'll Want Syrup, Right?

**He'll Want Syrup, Right?**

It was probably a really dumb decision for me to go with Dustin after school. I thought about it all day in class. Did this mean anything to him? I have to admit, the walk over was long and nerve wrecking. My palms were actually sweaty and my stomach filled with knots. Then I saw him. He was sitting in the most relaxed position as if he didn't care if I made it there or not. I breathed a sigh of relief then playfully nudge him aside as I sat with my back against the tree.

"Three o four. Right on time." he joked.

"If you were anyone else, it'd be four o four."

"So you came on time because of me?" he said in a hopeful voice. He thought I was flirting. I dismissed him.

"No, I came on time because you never told me why you wanted to meet me here."

"Well, why do you think?"

"I don't know."

"Oh come on, Lil. Haven't you seen the signs?"

"What signs? And _don't_ call me Lil." Anger rose in me with his every word.

"Biology class, breakfast this morning, and that outfit."

"What about my outfit?" Usually I don't care what other people think of what I wear, but I was already angry.

"Nothing, nothing," he tried to calm me down. "It's nice, that's all." He saw the anger in my face as I tried to get up.

"Wait," He grabbed my wrist and I sat back down.

"I know you never wore anything like that when you were with Dirk."

"So."

"So…you must be trying to impress someone."

"You think I'm trying to impress you?" I almost laughed out loud.

"I've been watching you, Lil. The way you walk around here like you don't care anything…or anyone. But I know better." He put his arm around my shoulder and I didn't push it away. He even called me "Lil" again and I said nothing.

"So." I was trying desperately to stay cold and heartless toward him.

"Like I said, you've seen the signs. I've seen them, too. I know what you want." He started rubbing my arm gently and I didn't do anything still. My mind was racing and wanted to make sense of it all.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Dustin Richard Broke. Born April 16th…"

"That's not what I mean and you know it," I finally pushed his arm away. "What's your deal? Are you just pretending to be this charming, clever guy to impress people or is this really you?" The question I'd been dying to ask him since the day we met.

"Okay, you caught me."

"What?" I was about to get up.

"You used the outfit to impress me and I set the table to impress you. I never actually took cotillion. My Aunt Clara taught me how to set a table."

"Why would you impress me when you have Angela?"

"Are you saying it worked?" he sounded hopeful.

"Answer my question first." I crossed my arms over my chest and pulled my knees to my arms.

"Because…I," he started scratching his head. I knew what he was thinking but I wanted to hear him say it.

"Let me turn the tables on you, then." he said cleverly. Darn, he was smart.

"Okay, shoot."

"Why would you impress me with that hot outfit when you have…oh, yeah." He had already forgotten that Dirk and I were broken up. I found my opportunity.

"I'm single, therefore, I can impress anyone I choose."

"Even people who aren't single?"

"Not my fault if committed men have wandering eyes." That time I _was_ flirting.

"Look, we're not getting anywhere with this," he said. "I might regret this later, but I gotta ask: Do you like me?"

Of all the times that my face has turned red, this was, by far, the most inconvenient. It's really hard to be mysterious with your emotions when the other person knows your thoughts.

He slid even closer to me.

"Why am I here, Dustin?" I asked firmly for the last time. He pulled my face closer to his and I didn't stop him. He put his index finger under my chin and led my face toward his. He slid his left cheek against my right one and whispered in my ear, "I'm here because…you…need to pass Ms. Goth's class."

My whole heart fell into my stomach at that point. I quickly pulled away as I saw him reach for his Biology book from behind the tree. I ran as fast as I could towards the swing sets and then stopped to catch my breath. Perhaps quitting the track team wasn't the best decision I ever made. I saw him coming after me, Biology book and all, but I was still too tired to make a break for it. When I touched my face I was surprised by my mascara mixed with warm tears. If only I had a large shovel with me I could have dug myself a whole to live in for the rest of my life. When he finally caught up to me I dug my head into the pole on the swing set.

"Lilith, I was only joking. You're worse than your--"

"Don't even think about it!" I screamed while my head was still leaning against the pole. He sighed in frustration but his tone was soft.

"I'm sorry, Lilith. This is weird for me, too. I just got nervous. I didn't do it to be mean, I swear." I wiped all the eyeliner off my face before I turned around.

"So, where does this leave us?" I asked in the most innocent voice I could muster. He held my face in his palms again.

"In a very dangerous place." he said softly before he lightly kissed me on the lips.


	6. A Very Dangerous Place

**A Very Dangerous Place**

Dustin stayed at our house for a couple more days until his aunt came down from Veronville to pick him up. Those few days seemed to go by so quickly. With Angela occupying all of Dustin's time during school and at home, the only time we had to spend together alone was right after school in the playground and nights when I would sneak downstairs. We'd stay up talking about the most random things. We'd talk about how much we hate school, what we thought about our futures, and our parents. Those conversations would sometimes last all night so I'd have to pretend I had gotten up early to finish homework or something. And my parents would be so busy getting ready for work that they actually believed me. The good ol' days. But now Dustin was leaving and it felt like I would be saying goodbye to my best friend. He was going up to Veronaville to live with his aunt for a while until things cooled down between his mom and him. Who knew how long that would take? With Mrs. Broke being pregnant now, and having all those hormones, she would probably never cool down and let Dustin come back. Angela was a total wreck about the whole thing. She kept hugging him every time she looked out the window and started bawling when the car pulled up in the driveway. When my dad opened the door an incredibly beautiful woman walked in. Dustin's Aunt Clara was a tall, thin blonde with blue eyes and high cheekbones She spoke in a very soft voice, similar to one of those princesses from storybooks. Judging by her features I figured that she must have been Dustin's aunt on his dad's side. And then I remembered that Brandi hated the woman.

I remember my parents talking about it a few years ago when Mr. Broke, or Skip, as he told everyone to call him, died. They had disliked each other for years just because Clara 'didn't want Brandi's kind to be associated with their family'. Skip met Brandi at a NASCAR race when she was sixteen. Skip had just graduated from college at the time and was twenty twoyears old. She was the most excited little thing Skip had ever seen. At first, because of the age difference, he wasn't sure if her parents would be okay with their relationship. When Brandi brought Skip home for the first time, her parents immediately accepted him. They hoped that since he was older then Brandi that he could guide in the right direction for her future since he was a college educated man and came from an uptight, but wealthy family. Brandi's family was very poor and could barely afford to keep a roof over thier heads so they also encouraged Skip and Brandi's relationship in the hopes that he would one day give her a better life than the one she was born into. Brandi was a true southerner who loved to go "muddin' and have tailgating parties. She learned to shoot a buck when she was eight and could open a beer bottle against a window pane. But on Skip's side, it was just the opposite. His family wasn't exactly rich, like the Goth's, but were certainly not poor. Skip and Clara had been to private schools their whole lives and had their college paid for out of pocket because their father had been in the military. Skip's father adored Brandi and accepted her from the moment that Skip told his parents they were dating. But the women in the family, his mom and sister, treated her so badly. His mother almost had a heart attack when Skip announced his engagement to, by then, eighteen year old Brandi. The first question his sister asked was if he had 'gotten into trouble' with her. But Skip would never say anything because he knew how they would react. On their day of the wedding, Brandi was about six months pregnant with Dustin, and Skip's family had a fit because she wore a white dress. This upset her so much that day, she didn't even want to get married anymore. She sat in the back of the church with her head in her hands and refused to move even after The Wedding March had been repeated three times. Skip had to run and find out what was wrong. When he saw how beautiful Brandi looked in that dress he told her it didn't matter to him what color it was as long as it meant she would be married to him for the rest of his life. So Brandi and Skip were married and as much as Skip's family hated it, they couldn't do anything about it.

Skip's dad offered to buy them a house and a honeymoon is Europe as a wedding present, but Skip refused. He said he wanted to build his own family up from the bottom with his own two hands. So Brandi and Skip bought a small, one bedroom, one bathroom starter home and never looked back. Skip's mother and sister still hated Brandi, but when Dustin was born they had to be nice so they would be allowed to see him. The whole family adored Dustin and spoiled him so much that for many years he didn't know that his families were fighting. Dustin loved his Aunt Clara and would spend many of his summers with her. When Skip died of an aneurism that caused him to drown in their pool outside, Brandi believed that his family blamed her. She got into a huge argument with Clara about seating at the funeral because she wanted her family on one side and his on another. Clara wanted the families to sit together so she could sit near her nephews. Brandi didn't like that one bit. She thought Clara would be telling the kids lies about her. She told Clara that she couldn't come at all unless she sat where she was told to sit. Clara said she was okay with it but on the day of the funeral she snuck a seat next to Dustin while Brandi wasn't looking. Brandi was too upset at the time to notice, but after to funeral when Dustin slipped up and mentioned it, she decided to hate Clara forever and didn't allow Skip's family to see the children anymore.

On holidays, they no longer received a card or a picture. Dustin felt like it was his fault that he would never see his beloved aunt anymore. But one day, when he was walking home from school, she pulled up next to him in a shiny black Mercedes and told him it was his when he got his license. Of course, he knew his mother would flip if she suddenly saw a new car in her driveway. His aunt then gave him another choice. She told him that if he came to visit her like he used to, then he could drive it as often as he wanted. She handed him a birthday card and inside was a twenty dollar bill and a number he could reach her from. And two years later, here she was.

She grabbed Dustin and almost lifted him off the ground when she saw him. I could tell that she must have really missed him. She complimented how tall he had gotten and asked which one of us was his girlfriend. I told her it was the psycho sobbing in the corner. She whispered to me that it was too bad because I seemed like more fun. Angela stood and tried to clean herself up before introducing herself to Clara. It was so hilarious to me that I started cracking up and had to turn my head so I wouldn't laugh in her face. Angela hung her head into Dustin's chest for a minute and he whispered to her to calm her down.

"Don't worry. I'll call and text. It won't be for that long." He kissed her on her forehead before she grabbed him into another hug. Then he turned to me. I had to try my best to be as nonchalant as I could.

"See you, Lilith." That was all he said.

" It's been real." That was all I said.

He went outside to the car, the same Mercedes from two year ago, and they were gone. I went upstairs to my bedroom and was pretty bummed out for a while. But not nearly as upset as Princess Angela. She went to her room and continued sobbing the entire night. I figured she'd be too upset to even go to school the next day.


	7. I Know A Secret

**I Know A Secret**

When Dustin had been gone for over a month, I feared that he would never return. But at least he kept in touch with Angela and I though. He told me about his new school and how there was actually a teacher more boring than Ms. Goth. He even thought about joining the football team there. That's when I realized he may not come back. I wanted everything to be back to normal and didn't like not seeing him everyday. Angela felt the same way and wanted to find a way to get him to come back. Angela decided to go to his mom and see if she would meet with him. I called him and asked him to come down and meet me at the mall so we could hang out one weekend. Angela and I walked over to Mrs. Broke's house that Thursday to talked with her for a while. Mrs. Broke really didn't want to deal with Dustin anymore at that point. She and the coach had broken up after the whole ordeal and she feared that if she ever wanted to date again it would all be jeopardized by her son's wild antics. She was tired of being alone. Tired of being the poor, single mother. Mrs. Broke wanted to find love again but Dustin would never let her. The coach had not been the only man who wanted to date her. He was just the one that had stuck around the longest. She figured that as long as Dustin was in capable hands he would be fine and she would be free to do as she pleased. Then Angela asked about the pregnancy and if she would consider getting back with the coach for the child's sake. Then Mrs. Broke sighed and looked down at the floor. I nudged Angela for upsetting the woman that way but Mrs. Broke said it was okay.

"I've had to make some tough decisions in my life. This, by far, was the toughest. I don't want anything else to do with the coach and I can't possibly afford to take care of another baby. A couple of weeks ago I went down to the clinic."

The both of us knew exactly what that meant. But we also knew that Mrs. Broke did not want Dustin back even though she wasn't having the coach's baby anymore. We thanked her for having talked with us and walked back home. We couldn't really know what would happen when Dustin and his mom talked. We just had to wait and see. Saturday finally came and I met up with Dustin at the mall. Angela had cheer practice that afternoon so I had him all to myself until his mom got there. Upon seeing him, he was the same boy had been when he left. No taller, shorter skinnier, or fatter. I didn't get butterflies like I usually do when I first saw him. I just studied him a bit and breathed him in when he hugged me. He smelled so nice and familiar. I was disappointed when his first question to me was, "Where's Angela?" I sighed and told him she wasn't here so he had nothing to worry about. Then he grabbed my face and kissed me as if he had been waiting all this time to do so. Then I had to tell him the bad news. He pulled him even closer to me and stroked his soft, blond hair and whispered, "I brought you here to talk to your mom." He quickly tried to pull away from me but I jerked him by his shirt. "You need to resolve this." I said firmly.

"I already know she doesn't want me around. Why would I need to have a conversation with her about that?" He looked at me with seriousness in his eyes. I sighed and tried to explain things to him.

"There's some information you don't fully understand. You just have to talk to your mom--"

"Do you know?" He rudely interrupted. I didn't want to lie to him. "Yea, I know. That's why you have to talk to your mom. She needs to tell you."

I looked around the store and finally saw Mrs. Broke walking in the door holding Beau's hand. I was relieved and quickly ran up to her and took Beau so that she could talk to Dustin. Beau and I went to the food court and had ice cream then went to play on the slides in the middle of the mall. It was such a surprise to me watching Beau. He acted just like a normal kid despite how crazy his home life was. Then I wondered if he really understood what was going on so I asked him. "So, do you miss Dustin, Beau?"

He looked up at me from the slide and matter-of-factly said, "Yes, but mommy won't let him come back." I was very surprised that he knew even that small bit of information. "Well, Dustin and your mom are having a talk and I'm pretty sure your mom will let him come back afterwards."

"Really?" He looked up at me with the excitement and naivety of a child.

"Yep, really." I answered hoping to God that I was right.

When I saw Mrs. Broke and Dustin walking up to us I was relieved. Neither of them looked angry so I knew they must not have argued too much. I observed them as they got closer and saw that they both had been crying. I knew then that she had told him what she did. Mrs. Broke didn't really say anything to me as she walked up.

She only mumbled, "Thanks for watching Beau." Then she took him by the hand and led him out of the middle of the mall. I looked at Dustin's face and saw his sadness. I reached out to hug him and told him I was sorry.

"So am I." he said back. He held me for a long time and then we walked down a narrow hallway where the bathrooms were. Then we both slid down and sat against the wall.

"I can't believe my mom would do that. I mean, she was only 17 when she got pregnant with me and she wasn't even married to my dad yet. If my dad was still alive, he wouldn't have let her do that."

I took his hand and stroked it lightly like my mom does to me and Angela when we're upset. "Well she had to do what she had to do, Dustin. When you and Beau came around at least she had your dad."

Dustin sighed and looked down. "I miss him a lot, Lil."

"I know you do. Your mom misses him, too. That's why she wants to date. She's tired if sitting around and missing you dad. Your mom only wants to be happy."

"Yea, I know. That's why I apologized and asked to come back and promised her that I'd stay out of her dating life. And she promised me that she wouldn't date anyone that I would come in direct contact in daily life, like teachers."

"It's about time. Now why didn't I think of this sooner?" I put my arm around his shoulder.

"So, how's Pleasantview been without me?" He inquired with that same old smirk.

"Eh, you didn't miss anything."

"Oh, but I did." he said slyly.

"Did you?"

"Yep, I did, and her name just happens to be Lilith Pleasant."

"Is that so?" I asked.

"It is. To be completely honest with you, I haven't even thought about Angela."

"Hmm," was all I could come up with. I was somewhat comforted by the fact that Dustin missed me, but disheartened that he didn't miss my sister at all. It was so weird. She's actually his girlfrind. Usually I could care less about Angela's feelings but now I was feeling a bit guilty about the whole arrangement that Dustin and I had. Since when do I feel remorse for things?


	8. No More Secrets

**Trouble in Twin Town**

**No More Secrets**

For about two weeks after Dustin came back, I had been avoiding him. The whole guilt thing was really starting to get to me by then. I just had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad was gonna happen. There wasn't any specific warning. I just knew it was something bad. This past week my parents had gone back to arguing, just like that. One Tuesday, I knew that things had gotten really rough when I tiptoed downstairs and heard my dad crying on the couch in the living room. I quickly tiptoed back upstairs so he never knew I was there. Two days later, mom and dad took Angela and me for ice cream after a half day at school and then sat us down at the kitchen table. Angela and I knew something was up because the last time they did that, dad left for four months.

"Girls, before we start, we just want to say we love you both so much. More than anything in this world." Mom began.

"But sometimes, adults can do everything to fix their problems and it doesn't work out. We want to make sure you girls know that none of this is your fault." Dad said.

"Oh, God." I whispered.

"Girls," Mom said while holding both of our hands across the table. "Your father and I are breaking up."

"Oh, God. I knew it!" I yelled.

"Now, Lilith before you get angry-"

"Too, late. I'm already angry. What did that whore do now, huh?" I was furious.

"Now, young lady. Please refrain from using that kind of language. It's not called for." My dad said calmly.

"How can you be so calm? You're breaking up our family and I know that…that _maid _has something to do with it. I thought you left her. I thought you were gonna stay with your family." I pleaded to my dad. At that point I felt like I needed to fight. I loved both of my parents and the four months when dad was gone after mom caught him cheating were pure hell. Mom was even more bitter and angry than usual. She wouldn't let dad in the house, either. He had to sneak and pick us up at school.

"The circumstances have changed, Lilith." My mom said to me.

"What circumstances?" I bluntly demanded.

"Oh, I'm not sure if I should go into detail about-"

"_What circumstances!_" I cut mom off before she could finish. My dad sighed heavily and put his head in his hands for a few seconds and mom looked down at the table.

Angela and I looked at each other quizzically.

"Well," Angela finally chirped in after minutes of silence.

"The circumstances are different because Kaylynn, I mean Ms. Langerak…," he sighed heavily again.

"She and I are… she's having a baby…and it's mine."

Angela and I just stared across the table at dad for a few minutes. The news was just too terrifying to believe. I really hoped he was joking or that maybe this was just some nightmare. I pinched my leg underneath the table and realized it was no dream. This was real. This was my life.

"Are you sure it's yours?" I asked.

"Very sure." My dad answered, embarrassed.

"How do you know she isn't lying?" Angela asked angrily.

"That's enough, alright!" Dad suddenly got mad and banged his fist on the table.

"Look, girls, I know this is very hard to deal with right now, but we'll get through it. Perhaps we should finish this discussion tomorrow." Mom said trying to calm the atmosphere a bit.

Angela and I both stomped angrily upstairs to Angela's room and slammed the door.

"How could this be happening?" Angela asked as she plopped face first on her bed. "He's been married to mom for 18 years and we have no siblings. How does he suddenly get _her _pregnant?"

"She is much younger than mom is. I think around 25 or something."

"Well I don't care how old she is. I think she's lying. I think she's up to something." Angela mumbled into her pillow. It's a good thing we have twin telepathy or I wouldn't have caught a word she said.

"There's more to the story that we don't know, yet. Maybe they'll invite her over and tell us the whole story. Then we can trap her in a lie." I deviously said.

"That may not best idea, Lilith. Did you see the look on mom's face when dad said Kaylynn was pregnant? She already knew, and she still looked like she wanted to kill him."

"Yea, you're right," I agreed with Angela, for once. "As much as I hate that woman, I don't want to be an accessory to murder."

"Maybe if we get dad alone he'll give us more to the story. I have a feeling that there are things he didn't want to say in front of mom." I suggested.

"Yea, tomorrow we should talk to him."

Angela and I said goodnight and went to bed. Dustin texted me a couple of times so I just turned my phone off. I just wished he would get the hint already.

The next morning was Saturday and mom was already at work. Angela and I went downstairs, ate breakfast, and watched TV as we waited for dad to get up.

When he finally did, we sat at the kitchen table and waited.

Dad came in with the morning paper, as usual. He sat at the counter and read then suddenly looked up at us.

"This is about last night, isn't it?" he said to us.

"Yes, it is. We know there might be things you didn't want to say before," I said.

"Yea, since mom was here. But now that she's gone…" Angela trailed off.

Dad sighed and put the paper away.

"Look, girls I'm sure I've told you and your mother everything I can remember. But I guess I could start from the beginning." Dad pulled out a chair from the table and sat with us.

"Months ago, as you know, Ms. Langerak was our housekeeper. She did an excellent job keeping things clean and was a very kind woman as well. But like many young, attractive, women in menial jobs she was looking for a way out. She began flirting with me ever now and then. She would give me compliments and gestures at first. Then it became more obvious with pinching and grabbing."

"Dad, gross." I interjected because, well, it was gross.

"Sorry, I'm keeping as clean as I can while sticking to the story. So, anyway, one day she came to me at the end of her shift and told me her van wouldn't start and if I could take a look at it. I looked and couldn't find any engine related problems, but the car wouldn't start even though the engine was fine. Then I looked down at the dashboard and saw that she had no gas."

"_Why don't you have any gas?" _I asked her.

"_Well, I was going to get some after my shift. But now, I guess, I can't. Can you drive me home?" _she said in an innocent voice.

"I figured she was just not very knowledgeable about cars and that she really didn't know how much gas she had in the tank. So I drove her home."

Dad stopped and sighed again.

"Why'd you stop?" I asked.

"I really don't know how I can tell this story to my daughters. Have I not suffered enough?" he asked in a begging tone. Angela and I remained silent and he continued.

"Well I had just planned to drop her off at the front until I actually saw the neighborhood she lived in. Graffiti was everywhere and there were drug dealers and hobos standing at every corner. I know it sounds like I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. I felt so bad to just leave her on the sidewalk and drive off. I could have just waited until she went inside her house and then drove off but I heard a gunshot and I-I mean _she _got scared so she asked me to walk her inside the house.

"I can see where this is going," I exclaimed.

"So I walked her into her house and sat on the couch while she went into her room to change her shoes, or so she said.

I sat and watched her TV and she returned and asked me if I wanted something to drink. I responded 'yes' without turning around. When she brought me my drink I turned around and saw what she was wearing. A short, pink, low-cut nightgown exposing her…um…figure."

"Told you she was a whore." I just _had_ to say it.

"Language, Lilith." dad reminded me.

"She handed me a wine glass and then seductively asked me if I wanted to stay for a while. I told her no because I have work in the morning. She asked me if I was sure because it may not be safe to go outside. I heard another gunshot and decided I would stay one more hour. She offered the wine again and I declined because I needed to drive home. She told me I probably wouldn't get home that night. Then, as if by cue, it started raining hard. I sighed and took the glass of wine. We sipped it together and sat in the living room and talked…until the lights went out."

"Dad!" Angela protested.

"No, the power went out. It was completely dark so Kaylynn asked me to go in the kitchen and look for some candles. I went and dug through every drawer in the kitchen and was suddenly attacked. Kaylynn grabbed me around my shoulders and pulled me close to her, I tried to push her away, but she's really strong."

"And you had been drinking." Angela mentioned.

"Right," dad said embarrassed. "So, she basically attacked me and pushed me onto her counter and I scraped my leg on one of the open drawers. I tried to get down from the counter to go see about my leg but she trapped me there. She wouldn't move no matter how much I pushed. Keep in mind that it was pitch black dark and I couldn't see anything so any attempts to get off the counter could have resulted in a severe injury. She climbed on me and…"

"And," Angela and I repeated.

"I can't discuss this with my kids, I just can't. Leave it up to your imaginations, okay?"

"So you did it with her?" Angela asked.

"Yes," dad said in a guilt ridden voice. "The lights came back on about 20 minutes later and I rushed out of the apartment and drove right home."

"But you had been drinking. How could you drive?" I asked.

"Belief you me, I was so sweaty from nerves I think all the alcohol was out of my system by then. I felt terrible about it for days. Whenever Kaylynn would come in for work I would hide to avoid her. On the occasions that she found me, she would still be up to her flirty tricks."

"What about mom?" I demanded to know.

"Your mother and I haven't been very happy with each other for a while. We love each other, but we barely speak anymore. Ever since she went into politics it's been this way. I had been suggesting separate bedrooms for at least two years but your mother was insistent on you girls having your own rooms."

"So, you're blaming this whole thing on mom?" Angela asked.

"Oh, oh no," Dad corrected. "I'm just pointing out that we had problems. I was a large part of the problem, too. I never realized what I had. I was too busy harboring anger toward your mother instead of just asking what she needed. It's my fault, too. Back to the story, then. Kaylynn and I hooked up a few more times over the months and each time I felt less and less guilty, until the most recent time when your mother caught us kissing when she came home early."

"The night she kicked you out for four months." Angela remembered.

"I stayed in filthy motels for those months. Four long months. I didn't live with Kaylynn. I cut off all contact with her. Then your mother let me come back and then Kaylynn started sending messages through people at my high school that she needed to speak to me. Since she had worked for our family people thought nothing of it. I just figured she wanted her last paycheck since we forgot about that when she was fired."

"But that's not what she wanted, was it?" I chimed in.

"I wish it had been. That would have been easier to deal with. She called me on her cell phone and asked me to come to her apartment. I refused because nothing good ever came from me entering that woman's apartment. She finally settled on us meeting in a coffee shop. This time she was fully dressed and she didn't look too happy.

Her first words to me were:

"_I think I'm late." _I didn't understand her so asked her what she was late for since we hadn't planned to meet at a specific time. Then she said,

"_No, I mean _late_ late."_

"_You mean…expecting something?" _We used code just in case anyone we knew was in the shop.

"_Yea, this hasn't ever happened before. I'm always on time."_

"_Are you late enough to…get into trouble?" _

"_I think so."_

"_How late are you? A little late or really late?"_

"_Twelve days." _she muttered in a quiet voice.

"_That's definitely more than a little late." _

"_Haven't you been…setting your alarm clock every morning?" _I asked in a panic.

"_Well, almost every day. A few times I may have forgotten or maybe it just didn't go off for a whatever reason. It isn't magic." _I knew she was angry so I had to be delicate with my next question.

"Did you ask her if it was yours?" I asked bluntly.

"I did and it was very difficult to say the least." Dad answered.

"_Do you think I would have anything to do with you being late? Or could you attribute your tardiness to someone else?" _I asked in the most polite way I could, but there was no getting around what I was really asking.

"_Of course it's yours-I mean you're the reason I'm late. I haven't been spending time with anyone else in months." _I could tell she was angry.

"_Please don't get upset. I was just asking. Look, maybe we should go and get this confirmed before making conclusions. Fair enough?"_

She mumbled, 'sure' and then I waited for her outside of a drugstore while she bought a test. I was just as agonized as she was when she came back outside after taking the test, telling and showing me that two pink lines mean 'pregnant'.

"I was floored. I was so shocked a threw up _twice_. I didn't want to believe it but it was confirmed even more accurately with a trip to the doctor and an ultrasound." Dad put his head down on the table for a while. Angela and I sat and waited patiently.

"Then she started talking child support and daycare and it freaked me out. I knew I would have to tell your mother as soon as possible. Kaylynn was already 13 weeks and I knew she would be devious enough to tell on me if I didn't tell on myself first. I told your mother last week and things went better than I thought they would. I was expecting to be kicked out, cursed out, and worse by your mother but she truly showed me the understanding woman she can be.

She is letting me stay here until I can find a place and she says I can come see you girls whenever I want. If only I had realized what I had when I had it."

Angela and I didn't know what to say or do at that point but I knew what we were both thinking: How are we going to deal with this? How are we going to manage a little half sister or brother? And what would other people think of it?


	9. Things Go Bad

**Things Go Bad**

"Gee, I thought my home life was bad." My friend Ginger said with wide eyes of surprise. I was telling her about the situation between my dad and Kaylynn.

"Yea, I know. The worst part is, well actually, all of it sucks pretty badly." I lamented.

"Maybe this could be your opportunity to try and have some fun before everything changes," Ginger suggested. "I didn't get a chance to, but you still can." We sat in silence for a moment.

Ginger has been an orphan since she was 14. Her adoptive mother died two years ago leaving behind six kids. Ginger is the oldest at age sixteen. Her brother, Gavin, is fifteen. Then there are Gabriella and Gallagher who are seven and eight. And the youngest two, a set of twins turn two in a couple of weeks. Ginger didn't want her siblings to be put into foster care and separated so she became an emancipated minor and is the guardian of all her siblings. She doesn't really get to have the normal life of a teen because she had to grow up so quickly and be a mom to her siblings. She works full-time at night and goes to school full-time as well and still maintains a 3.5 GPA. I like being friends with Ginger because her life makes me more thankful for mine. And she's always gracious about my venting about my life when hers is much worse.

"I think that's a great idea. Maybe we could go to the basketball game later?" I said in a cheerful tone.

"Sure. I never go anywhere besides work and school." Ginger said with a smile. Then her vibrated and she picked it up to read a text. She read quickly and sighed heavily afterwards.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's Gavin. He has no idea which medicine is Georgia's and which is Gabriella's. This could be serious if I don't get over there." Ginger looked disappointed.

"We could always go to the game next week." I offered.

"Well, maybe. But _you_ should still go, tonight." Ginger told me.

"But, I-"

"No, Lilith. Remember what I said. Do something fun before your life changes forever." Ginger reminded me.

"Okay, I will. But who will I go with?" I asked.

"Maybe _Dustin _is free." she snickered as she grabbed her coat and I followed her downstairs.

I playfully hit her in the shoulder and gave her a hug goodbye. I hadn't spoken to Dustin in forever because I just couldn't handle so many things at one time. But Ginger's suggestion was a good one. Since Angela was cheering it's not like he could go with her. And Dirk's dad still had him on lockdown.

So I decided to just take a deep breath and call Dustin.

"Hey, Lilith. I thought you had fallen off the face of the earth or something."

"Well, I was just really busy dealing with my insane family."

"So was I, but it only takes a couple of minutes to dial the phone and say, 'hi, I'm still alive.'

"I'm on the phone now, aren't I?" I got defensive.

"Yea, but I think it's only because you want something."

"Well, I kinda do. Do you wanna go to the basketball game with me tonight?"

"Well, I don't know. Since you've been ignoring me for three weeks, I'm not sure if you even still care about me." He was really trying to make me work for this.

"Dustin, stop being ridiculous. I told you I was busy." I was getting annoyed.

"Busy with what?" he said playfully but I was in no mood by then.

"My parents are breaking up and this time it's for good. Happy now?" I yelled into the receiver.

"Yea, well is that it," he yelled back at me. "A few weeks ago, I found out my little brother has cancer."

"Oh my God, Dustin, I'm so sorry." I said with so much shock.

"Yea, well if you had picked up your phone anytime within these three weeks you would've known. Angela already knows."

"Yea well, what's the point of you telling me? Angela's your girlfriend. I'm just the girl you're sneaking around with."

"So, this is what it's all about," Dustin realized something I didn't.

"You're upset because we're sneaking around. You don't think we have a real relationship."

"You're right. We don't." I was wiping away a few tears then.

"I'm sorry, Lil. I didn't mean to dump all my crap on you like that."

"No, it isn't that. I just feel like I can't handle all of this at once. My parent's divorce, this, sort of, relationship we have, my dad having a baby with the maid-"

"You're dad's having a baby with a maid?" Dustin asked confused.

"It's a long story."

"Maybe you could tell me on the way to the game?" Dustin finally answered what I wanted in the first place.

"Okay, then. But I still don't know how I feel about 'us' anymore, so could we go as friends?" I suggested.

"Sure, if that's what you want." We said goodbye and hung up.

Later on when we met up at the game, I was surprised to see Dirk there. I got kind of nervous as I had only seen him a few times at school since we broke up a while ago. I waved at him and then sat down with Dustin.

"I can't believe Dirk is here." I whispered to Dustin.

"Yea, I know. I thought he was still grounded."

"Maybe the warden let him out early for good behavior." I joked. We laughed for a while at that one. It was always a running joke between the kids at school that Mr. Dreamer was like a Drill Sergeant. Whenever anyone called the house he basically wanted their life story before he would put them on with Dirk. I think people were starting to get suspicious of Dustin and me sitting together because kids from our school kept staring. But as the game progressed, we didn't notice it as much. Throughout the game, Dustin and I laughed and whispered jokes to each other. It was so much fun that I was starting to forget about all the crappy things going on in my life. I was finally just relaxing again. Then at the halftime show that feeling went away when I saw my sister. I guess the jealousy aspect was getting to me. I just didn't see it as fair that Angela was Dustin's confidante when I was the one he hung out with and was much better suited for. We were much more alike that she and Dustin could ever be. This was a very confusing time for me. While I wasn't sure about my feelings for Dustin two hours ago, seeing Angela made me surer of them. It was almost like if Angela wasn't in the way, then I would be able to express my true feelings about Dustin without being cautious of her feelings. While the cheerleaders were making a pyramid, I was making a decision. Angela, being the lightest person on the squad, was placed at the top. I was highly upset by this because I just saw it as a way to boost her already inflated ego. I whispered out loud, "I hope she falls," but I don't think anyone heard me.

But then I figured if I couldn't make her fall, I could upset her, at least. I wanted Dustin, and I could have him. So, without warning from anywhere, I grabbed Dustin's face and kissed him so passionately some parents in the audience had to cover their kid's eyes. It was an amazing kiss. My lips tingled and my knees felt like pudding. After that kiss, everything felt different. I made a strong statement with that kiss and everyone from school took notice. Dustin just stared into space for a few seconds after. I could tell he was shocked and confused. I looked up to see what Angela was doing. From the horror ridden expression she had on her face, I could tell she had seen what happened and was not happy. But, what happened next, was a complete surprise. Taken aback by the kiss, Angela had leaned forward slightly and lost her balance on the pyramid. Then she suddenly began falling forward straight into the wooden gym floor. It only took about eight seconds for her to fall, but I saw it all in slow motion. The second that she hit the floor, my heart stopped. I don't even remember running onto the basketball court but apparently Dustin and I did. A doctor was called out of the bleachers and he tried to examine her. He couldn't because she was face down. We all waited for the ambulance and Dustin and I sat in the back while Angela was unconscious and in a neck brace. The EMT examined her in the ambulance and she didn't respond the whole time. I couldn't breathe the whole ambulance ride. I dug my nails into Dustin's palm as I sat red eyed staring at my unconscious twin sister. I thought that if she fell, she would maybe just sprain an ankle or something. I didn't know she would fall on her head and not even try to break her fall. When Dustin and I arrived at the hospital, my parents were already there. I ran to them and hugged both of them tight. I was terrified at that moment. I just knew it was all my fault that this was happening. Why on earth would I be jealous of Angela dating a guy who is enough of a jerk to sneak behind her back with her sister? Something as stupid as a high school crush is not worth losing a sister. Both Dustin and I at that time weren't really in place to be dating, anyway. His brother was really sick, and now my sister was, too.


	10. What Was That All About?

**What Was That All About?**

My parents, Dustin, and I spent the night at the hospital. The doctor's said Angela had severe brain damage and had to be put in a medically induced coma. They said they needed to keep her this way until they could further evaluate her condition. I woke up stuck to a leather couch in a pool of drool. As soon as I woke up, I ran to the bathroom and then tiptoed into Angela's room. She was still hooked up to machines and asleep. I grabbed her hand and closed my eyes. Our twin telepathy can only work if both of us are in a heightened mental state at the same time. I thought maybe it would work, but quickly realized that an unconscious mind is not exactly in a heightened mental state. I sighed, but continued to hold her hand. I heard footsteps walk in behind me, but I didn't turn around because I just figured it was a nurse.

"I can't believe this is happening. Isn't my life terrible enough? Haven't I suffered enough?" I mumbled.

"It's not your fault," I heard a whisper behind me and finally turned around.

It was Dustin.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked, annoyed.

"I guess the same thing you're doing. Questioning my existence and blaming myself." He said this with a serious tone so I knew he wasn't joking.

I ignored him and pat Angela's head. I could tell he wanted to talk.

"So, what was up with yesterday?" he asked and I almost wanted to slap him.

"Really, Dustin. My sister is…just…why are you bringing that up now?" I was so upset that I could barely express a coherent sentence.

"I figured this is the only time we'll both be together for a while so I may as well ask now." He sat down in a chair beside Angela's bed.

"I don't know," I mumbled nonchalantly. I really didn't want to talk to him because I didn't know what to say.

"You're just using that as a copout. I know that _you_ know why you kissed me yesterday." he said as he crossed him arms.

"I kissed you because I like you. You already knew that." I exclaimed.

"No, that isn't the reason," Dustin said, shaking his head. "You've kissed me before but never in the middle of a basketball game while your sister is in full view."

"Well, what do you want me to say, Dustin? That I saw her looking at you and it made me mad. That I kissed you out of anger?" I let go of Angela's hand and faced Dustin.

"No, not out of anger, but jealousy." He stood up and uncrossed his arms with that stupid smirk on his face.

"Way to be the big winner, Dustin. Two girls vying for your attention and one in a coma. I bet your feel like a big man, now." I angrily said, raising my voice, but not quite yelling.

"It isn't about that. It's just about how you said you wanted to just go to the game as friends and then you turn around and change your mind. Where do we stand Lil? Is it over or not?" He just stood and stared at me. I was speechless for at least four minutes. Then out of nowhere I left the room in a huff. I couldn't think straight. I needed to get out of that hospital. As I shuffled down the hallway I heard my mom yell after me to ask where I was going.

"To Dirk's house," I muttered back without turning around as I got into the elevator.


	11. It's Official

**It's Official**

I bolted down the street and saw Dirk outside in his backyard playing basketball. I had to stop and lean over the sidewalk just to catch my breath. He saw me and walked over.

"Hi," he said as he gave me a big sweaty hug.

"Hi, yourself," I had almost forgotten how much I loved his sweaty, shirtless basketball hugs.

"How's your sister?" Of course that was the first thing anyone would be saying to me for a while.

"Fine. She's still sleeping, though. But she's stable."

"Great," he said and reached into the pocket of his basketball shorts.

"I was going to bring this card over to the hospital later, but since you're already here..." He handed me a Get Well card. I opened it & saw his signature, his dad's, Ms. Goth's and, curiously, Ginger's.

"When did you see Ginger?" I asked, confused.

He reached his right arm behind his head, so I knew he was about to lie.

"Well, this morning she came over..."

"Dirk Dreamer don't lie. You know I always know when you're lying to me."

He sighed & put his arm down.

" Ok, you got me. Ginger and I have been talking."

"What do you mean by that?" I crossed my arms and pointed my left foot.

"You know. Like texting and hanging out and-"

"When would Ginger have time for all of this? She has five siblings to take care of! She couldn't even come to the game with me last night." I was immediately furious.

"Yea, about that. I was the one who texted Ginger."

"But you were at the game."

"We hung out before the game because we knew you'd be there with Dustin."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My ex boyfriend and my bestfriend hanging out behind my back.

"Why would you hide it? Do you...you like her, don't you?"

There was a long silence.

"I can't believe you." I shouted at Dirk.

"What can't you believe? That I haven't been pining over you for the past six months, waiting for you to show interest in me again?" Dirk yelled at me.

"Your dad made us break up because of bad grades. You should've come to me." Now I moved my hands to my hips.

"It's been six months, Lilith. My grades have been great for an entire semester. If I wanted to make a move, I could've."

"And you didn't because..." I just stared at him menacingly.

"You think I don't know about you and Dustin." My jaw dropped when he said that.

"Ugh, Ginger." I sighed.

"You think I wanna date someone who would go behind her own twin sister's back like that and then embarrass her in front of everyone?"

"But it's over. I ended it." I explained.

"After that huge display at the game last night? After Angela got hurt? Of course, you did. Guilt always makes people do the right thing."

"It isn't like that, Dirk." I mumbled.

"Why are you here, Lilith?" That was the most meaningful echo I ever heard. I remembered when I asked Dustin the same question months ago. Unfortunately, I didn't have an answer for it. Dirk crossed his arms this time.

"I'll answer it for you, then. You left Dustin and now you expected me to be your fallback guy. Well, I'm not. Tell Angela I said 'get well soon.'

Then he just walked into the house and left me standing in his front yard. I stood there for a few minutes fuming in anger. And not because I didn't believe any of the things he said, but because I knew he was absolutely right.


	12. Now It's Over

**Now It's Over**

**Author's Note: **I hope you all are liking the story so far. I added an image to the story. It looks decent considering the size limit. Btw: The arm around the girl beside Lilith (Ginger) is Dirk's arm. The image maker cut it off! But I still think it looks nice. It took me a while to make it. Back to the story.

A couple of days later I lamented returning to school. Not because I didn't think I could focus with Angela still in the hospital, but because I knew that the whole school would be talking about what happened. I felt sweaty all day in class and my chest was pounding. Everytime I looked around at someone I knew what they knew. Everyone kept asking me about Angela and I kept saying she's fine. This happened about 20 times throughout the day. I was beyond irritated by sixth period. Thankfully, it was my last class. But, it was also the class I shared with Dustin. I hoped he wouldn't try to talk to me, but since when does he ever care what I want? The second the last bell rang, I darted out of my chair hoping that I could get to the parking lot before anyone could stop me. Of course, I couldn't. Dustin got to me before I could even get to the lockers. I immediately spoke before he could get a chance to.

"To answer your question from two days ago, Dustin, it is over. When Angela gets better you can just grovel to her & she'll take you back & I can just go back to Dirk." I finally got my locker open.

"Nice try. I already know about Dirk and Ginger." I slammed my locker shut.

"Really? Ugh. How did everyone manage to find out but me? Well, what I said still stands, Dustin. I'm over it. We can just be friends and that's it. Single friends."

Dustin and I walked outside while he thought about what I said. I really expected him to say something profound or to try to argue with my decision, but he only asked me if I really thought that Angela would still want him. I sighed and said, "Sure, why not? She probably won't even remember what happened."

To make things even more awkward, he asked my mom for a ride because he knew we were going to the hospital. So I had to sit in the car with him for twenty minutes and make small talk with him and my mom. Things got better when we got to the hospital, though. The doctor said Angela was doing much better than expected and that the swelling on her brain was going down. My mom, Dustin, and I went to her room and she was awake! She wasn't talking, but she was responsive to sound and movement which was great. Even though we were both relieved that Angela was doing so much better, I knew Dustin and I had the same deep-seeded fear. We both hoped that she wouldn't remember what happened but there was no way to be sure just yet. We all talked to her and helped her learn to do simple things like hold a fork. She couldn't quite get it, but we weren't in a rush. Everything seemed to be going well until we were about to leave and we saw EMT's rushing someone in. Dustin then recognized his mother. But she wasn't the one on the gurney. It was Dustin's little brother, Beau. Dustin ran to catch his mother, but I stood still and stayed with my mom & Angela.  
When we got home that night, Angela couldn't come with us. The doctors said she needed to be observed for a few more days. I called and texted Dustin maybe twelve times that night and he never answered. I guess it was his turn to ignore me.


	13. A Funeral

**Trouble in Twin Town**

**A Funeral…**

When I went back to school the next day after Dustin and I went to the hospital yesterday, I didn't see Dustin at all. I was getting worried because he hadn't texted me back all night or that morning. I had no idea what was going on but I wanted to find out. I went around to every kid I could grab, but no one had any answers. Then I was overcome with fear when I thought of one person that might know what was going on. I really didn't want to talk to him because I was still mad at him, but this was important so I had to put my personal discomfort aside. During P.E. I casually walked over to Dirk as he was tying up his sneakers. I knew he saw me standing behind him, but he ignored me.

"Look Dirk, I know I'm the last person you want to see right now, but this is important. I just wanna know if Dustin is okay."

He didn't move.

"I called him. I texted him. He hasn't answered me." He continued to tie his shoes while I kept talking.

"The last time I talked to him was at the hospital yesterday. We were visiting Angela and then Mrs. Broke came in with Beau on a gurney and…" I inhaled and exhaled figuring that Dirk just needed time to put his thoughts together about why he should care how I feel about Dustin ignoring me. As it turns out, he was just trying to protect my feelings.

After a few seconds of silence, Dirk spoke again, but he still didn't turn around.

"He's dead, Lilith," Dirk said in the calmest voice he could.

"What, who's dead?" I was panicking.

"Beau is dead."

"Oh my God," I started shaking. "How could this happen so quickly? He was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago, now he's gone?"

"Yea, he was only _diagnosed_ a few weeks ago. He's been having health problems for much longer."

"What kind of health problems?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Fevers, nosebleeds. Typical kids' stuff, but more often than normal. By the time they found out it was cancer, it was too late for treatment. He was just too sick for them to do any good."

"Why would Dustin hide this from me? Doesn't he trust me?"

Dirk finally turned around to look at me.

"You just don't get it, do you? Dustin purposely kept these things from you because he knew how rough everything was going for you."

"What?" I didn't understand at all.

"Your sister's in the hospital right now. It wouldn't be considerate to tell you his brother died in the same hospital your sister is in, would it?"

"I guess not," I bowed my head and turned around trying to hold back tears. "Thanks for the info, Dirk." Instead of trying to process the information I just recieved, I just kept it in my heart and buried it.

* * *

A funeral for a little kid is, by far, the saddest place you would ever want to be. Tons of elementary aged kids are there. Everyone is sobbing and the gravesite is covered in both flowers and toys. I don't have much to say about the funeral, except that it is the worst place to be. I was already upset about where I was. but even more upset that Angela still couldn't come. I knew that she really wanted to be there to support Dustin, but I'm sure he understood why she wasn't there. I wanted to talk to Dustin. I wanted to hug him and comfort him so he would know that everything would be okay. But, when I saw him, I couldn't move. I just watched him across a crowd talking to Dirk and Ginger, but I couldn't muster up the courage to walk over. Instead I just sat down beside Ms. Goth.

"How do you deal with death, Ms. Goth?" I asked without realizing I was talking to my Science teacher.

"If anyone ever discovers an answer to that question, they'll be a billionaire." She answered looking straight ahead.

"Not exactly the answer I was looking for from a woman who's backyard is a graveyard."

"Well, Miss- I mean Lilith, it's just one of those things that varies. When my dad died, I was happy because I knew he was, too. When my Uncle Michael died, I baked brownies for three days straight. And when my mother...when she disappeared and everyone stopped looking for her, I ran away from home, dyed a pink streak in my hair, and got a tattoo in a very inconspicuous place. I imagine how death is dealt with depends on the age of the deceased and how close they were to the living."

I nodded and understood. If only Ms. Goth was this interesting in class.

"So...if you ever lost a sibling..." I trailed off.

"If I ever lost my little brother, I honestly don't know what I'd do. But somehow I know I'd be okay. I'd be upset for a while but I know that life would eventually continue."

I nodded, got up and walked away. Now I felt that, somehow, I needed to let Dustin know that life goes on after death, but I decided I would just wait for him to come to me.


	14. And Tell Me That You've Missed Me

**And Tell Me That You've Missed Me**

By summer vacation, things finally started to turn around. Angela came home in June, Mom and Dad argued much less, and I didn't have to go to summer school. But other things weren't so great. We found out that Kaylynn was having twin boys, which surprised everyone. Also, Dustin hadn't spoken to anyone much since his brother's death. There were so many times when I wanted to reach out to him myself, but I remembered I had promised myself I would let him come to me. All my waiting paid off one lazy Tuesday afternoon in June. I was sitting on the swings playing a game on my phone when he called me. I almost didn't believe what I saw. I swiped the call button and took a deep breath.

"Hello?" said a gruff male voice. I panicked a bit and didn't answer right away. He spoke again.

"Hello? Lilith, are you there?" My heart almost broke when I heard my name. I finally answered.

"Dustin? Oh my goodness. It feels so good to hear your voice."

"So, how have you been?" I don't know why he asked me this as I was more concerned with how he'd been.

"Good. No summer school and Angela is home." I didn't want to give him too much at once.

"Well, that's great, Lilith. Listen, I need to ask you something."

"Sure, anything." I held my breath.

"I know you remember all that stuff that happened between us before. And the whole kiss that ruined everything."

"Yea, of course I remember, Dustin." I had no idea where he was going with this.

"Well, we never actually agreed on what we would do about Angela." I broke out into a cold sweat when he said her name.

"Right," I replied nervously.

"I think we should tell her." There were several seconds of silence after that. He knew I was still there and that I wasn't sure about the decision he was proposing.

Angela had been getting so much better over this past five months. She was talking and she was walking, but with a cane for now. None of us asked her if she remembered anything from the night of the accident because we didn't want to push her too far. She seemed to have a decent memory, though. She remembered that our parents were now divorced, that she and I were going to be big sisters, and that Dustin was her boyfriend even though he hadn't been to see her since the night his brother died. I told Dustin I would think about his idea for a while, but after two days, I figured I would just tell her myself. Thursday morning I got up and got dressed and sat in my sister's room on the floor and waited for her to wake up. I think I frightened her a little when she finally did.

"Finally awake, huh?" I asked cheerfully.

"Who are you?" she asked quizzically which caused me to panic for half of a second. Before I could answer her she responded.

"My sister never gets up this early. You must be her evil clone or something." We both laughed for a few seconds. I was just relieved that she was just joking with me.

"Well trust me. I am your real sister. I just wanted to ask you something."

"Sure, ask me anything." She leaned up in her bed to look at me.

"Do you remember the last game you cheered at?" I asked nervously.

"Of course I—oh I see where this is going. Look, Lilith before you go any further, it's okay. I'm okay with what happened."

"What?" I was really confused.

"I remember exactly what happened. I was at the top of the pyramid. Our team had just come back a few seconds before with six points. Everyone was excited and full of energy. Sometimes people do things without thinking. I should have been paying more attention to myself instead of staring out into the crowd. That's day one of safety rules."

"So you're not mad at me?" I asked.

"Of course not. Sometimes people do things without thinking. It was a pretty awesome game."

"That is just great. All this time I thought you'd hate me."

"I could never hate you. You annoy the crap out of me sometimes. But I love you, Lillie." I got up from the floor and squeezed my sister tight.

"I love you, too, Angie."

I had never been so relieved or felt so loved in my life.


	15. But Most Of All Just Kiss Me

**But Most of All Just Kiss Me...**

I decided to spend most of my summer with Angela. I hadn't done that since we were kids. I knew that even though she told me she was okay with me kissing Dustin that what he and I had done was wrong. Spending time with her helped me atone for it, I guess. It turned out to be much more fun than I thought. Angela and I went to the movies, to get manicures, to the beach and to the park. I even had to "chaperone" her dates with Dustin in case she got too tired to walk or needed someone to hold her cane and I also went with her to physical therapy, as well. The therapist was pretty hot, too so that was a bonus! Kaylynn finally had the twins in early August. Their names are Danny and Kory. I wanted to hate them for the rest of my life, before they were born, but now that I've seen them, I can't. They're just too sweet and adorable to hate. After babysitting them a few times, you just can't hate them. But I'm sure we'll all be in competition with each other for most of our lives and I'm okay with that. I wasn't really upset when school started back again in August, because I had such a fun summer and I was a junior, now. There was someone I hadn't seen all summer that I pushed to the back of my mind so that I would be able to have a good summer. It was Dirk. I missed him so much, but I left him alone because he was with Ginger and I had learned my lesson about butting into people's relationships. But on the first day of school he left a note on my locker asking to meet me after school underneath the orange tree by the swings. I questioned if I would even go, but I still went.

As I sat up against the tree, alone, I glanced at my watch.

"Three o four. Where is he?" As if by cue, he suddenly appeared, holding a Chemistry book.

"You asked to meet me and you're late." I sneered.

"Well, I wasn't sure if you'd come." He sat down beside me. "So, about this weather..."

"Why am I here Dirk?" I was hot and irritated.

"Well, uh," he choked out.

"Shouldn't you be spending time with your girlfriend and not bugging me?"

"I don't have a girlfriend anymore. We broke up." he said while looking down.

"Oh, so that's what this is about? Ugh! How could you be such a hypocrite? You can't be my fallback guy but, you want me to be your fallback girl? Well listen very carefully, Dirk. It's not going to happen, okay?"

My voice broke on the word 'okay' and I was embarrassed. I got up from the tree and went to sit on the swing with my face in my hands. Dirk followed me and tried to talk to me.

"Look, Lilith. That's not what I meant by what I said. I should've just worded it differently. We broke up because I just don't feel the same way about her—" I cut him off because I was pissed.

"That's usually how it goes." I mumbled into my hands.

"No, that's not it. Stop talking for, like, five seconds." he angrily said.

"I don't feel the same way about Ginger as I feel about you, okay? You're the only girl that ever made me smile all day if I only saw you for thirty seconds. And the same one who puts up with my drill sergeant-like father and the same one who won't hate me for yelling at her. Will you?" I took my face out of my hands and looked up at him.

"No, I won't," I said, sheepishly.

"You're not my fallback girl. You're the girl I've fallen in love with and I don't think I could ever love another girl the way I love you. I tried so hard with Ginger, but I couldn't."

I just stared at him for a few seconds, taking in everything he had said. Then I was pretty sure of what I wanted to do. I put my left hand to his face and slowly moved down to his chin. Then I pulled his chin down to mine and kissed his lips. That's the day we got back together and it was much better than just a secret love for people fighting over other people they have no business with in the first place but, a love that grows in patience and kindness and develops for a lifetime.


End file.
